A Healthy Beginning?

The nations health insurers have decided it might be time for them to play with them that keeps them at the dance. Yesterday, Karen Ignagni, the president of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)stated at a Senate hearing that the industry would stop basing a persons premium on their health and would extend coverage to all Americans, regardless of any pre-existing conditions.

While I applaud the industry for taking this dramatic first step, there is of course a caveat; in fact a critical condition. Everyone must get insurance. Oh, and they also want to make sure that any new system does not include a government insurance plan like Medicare.

The exlusion of a government plan is necessary because such a plan might attract those with private insurance because the government can bargin for lower rates.

Lower rates, that's part of what everyone wants but it sounds like AHIP wants to monopolize the health insurance market and then charge what ever they want. Like AIG they would be too big to fail and the insured would forever pay the penality.

So Ms. Ignagni it sounds like a good start but I think we need to maintain some skepticism. We can't afford to let the insurance industry determine what is good for our health and pocket book.

Oh, wait a minute, that's the current system and it works just fine doesn't it?